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Giving the sound tech what they want - potential stupid question alert


rOB
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I've never, in albeit a very limited experience of these things, had a sound engineer want to DI my bass into the mixing desk before my amp. I would actually be quite concerned if any sound engineer went about things that way. It would suggest to me they weren't up to the task or lazy.

My bass tone has quite a lot of grit in it, it sounds quite driven, so to DI my bass straight into the mixing desk wouldn't replicate my tone and therefore totally pointless.

All the sound engineers I've encountered though have been very good at what they're supposed to be doing, they just get on with it. I've never felt I have to make a special effort to go up to the sound engineer and introduce myself etc etc...they're usually too busy doing the sound for another band anyway.

My band played a festival a couple of Sundays back and the sound engineer there was fantastic. The sound was well mixed and really clear.

I honestly don't know where these problem characters come from :)

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I`m in a similar position, my tone is very twangy and driven, to DI it before my DI Pedal (what a novel idea, eh, have had someone try) would decimate the sound of the band. Nothing wrong with a regular Precision sound, but putting James Jamersons sound into my band, where my sound is more like JJ Burnell, well which rocket surgeon would think that`s a good idea? Oh yeah, someone that`s never heard the band before, but "knows the room".

Luckily I`ve only encountered a couple of people like this along the way in my current band, out of many more than 100, so it`s not something I`m that concerned with. Plus most of the venues we play are venues for our type of music, so the sound-people know what they`re doing on this genre anyway.

I think the main thing though, is knowing what you are sending to FOH, and keeping the signals even, no volume spikes due to badly thought out effects etc. Most of the time the sound-people will recognise when someone knows what they`re doing - or is bluffing well in my case - so they`re happy to go with what the bands want.

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I encountered my very first pre-rig DI on a local radio show recently, but we had different issues to sort out (weirdly set up stage) and very little time, so I left it. I eventually regretted the sound on the recordings, so I won't let that happen again.

However, I'd like to echo the positive statements above. In general the sound engineers I've encountered have been knowledgable and pleasant to work with. In the end we all just want to run a good show.

The technical nature of their specialisation I suppose leads some of them to be a bit set in their ways, but I bet bass players are no different!

Edited by Danuman
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[quote name='Danuman' timestamp='1498594471' post='3325795']

I'd like to echo the positive statements above. In general the sound engineers I've encountered have been knowledgable and pleasant to work with. In the end we all just want to run a good show.

The technical nature of their specialisation I suppose leads some of them to be a bit set in their ways, but I bet bass players are no different!
[/quote]

Agreed. Many soundmen have also suffered their fair share of players with less than perfect kit and can be wary as a result. That onstage sound that some players like, fed through several thousand watts worth of super clean PA system, can be pretty grim at times.

Edited by Dan Dare
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[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1498063865' post='3322321']
So if the keyboard player is using a dodgy patch on the synth is it the sound mans fault because he didnt take a midi out and use a "better" sound ?.
[/quote]

quote of the year.

I'm gonna use this analogy next time a soundman wants a clean DI signal.

No fathermucker, I paid good money for all these pedals, so you and everyone else will hear them, that's why I use them.

Put up a sign saying "I am not responsible for the bass player's tone" if you are that sensitive hehe

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[quote name='Danuman' timestamp='1498594471' post='3325795']

The technical nature of their specialisation I suppose leads some of them to be a bit set in their ways, but I bet bass players are no different!
[/quote]

Don't forget they have to deal with singers and guitarists too ;)

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I've been in a few situations where the sound man has insisted on pre rig / pre pedal DI... One being a massive function where we were running through 2 hours straight and another which was a live television show.

It kinda makes sense - when I asked the TV sound guy about the reason for 3 DIs... he said, if anything fails along the line, I want to make sure I can get something out as opposed to silence. "DI3 is my favoured feed (with amp model), DI 2 is post your pedals, DI is straight after your bass. If you modelling sounds sh*t, I can do something with DI2... and if your pedal board goes to sh1t, I've always got DI1. If anything else were to fail, start looking after your gear more mate or consider another career..." (was something like how the conversation went).

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[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1498662279' post='3326190']
How cool to be televised! Was that the charity all-dayer at the tickled trout?
[/quote]
You saw it? I thought nobody had tuned in!

My wireless failed pre DI1 too. Thems be the breaks.

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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1498662651' post='3326195']
You saw it? I thought nobody had tuned in!

My wireless failed pre DI1 too. Thems be the breaks.
[/quote]

I did tune in but to be honest I was totally distracted by the footy in the background - watching live TV on live TV - I kept looking around for the cameras pointing at me

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[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1498662878' post='3326199']
I did tune in but to be honest I was totally distracted by the footy in the background - watching live TV on live TV - I kept looking around for the cameras pointing at me
[/quote]
They did tell me that they would turn it off when we started playing... but it turns out that they were worried about losing the crowd if they did. They muttered something about an unfortunate clash with the footie or something.

Ah well.

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[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1498664165' post='3326209']
It's a shame because it looked like they'd gone to quite some effort with the PA, especially the monitors
[/quote]

Yes, some kind gentleman had hired his personal stash to the venue for the evening.

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